CARgo: Gadgets to help calm the commute

By Lowell Conn, National Post

Originally published: April 4, 2013

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Revo brings serenity now: A leading manufacturer of Bluetooth communication products, it was just a matter of time before Jabra branched out into related markets, and its excellent new Revo Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headphones are an entertainment device that happen to also feature Bluetooth communication functionality and are perfect for keeping in-car passengers diverted during long treacherous commutes. The Revo features Dolby Digital Plus sound, which interacts with a free Jabra iPhone and Android app to provide all sorts of customization to enhance the audio experience, and though it has Bluetooth 3.0 capability to transmit audio wirelessly from a tablet, smartphone or any other Bluetooth-enabled player, the good people at Jabra were thoughtful enough to include wired capability for those of us so inclined. It features a rechargeable battery with a life of up to 12 hours, unique touch controls with a virtual rotating volume dial and a comfortable and quality, durable construction. Some might argue that this product is too expensive to be employed in pacifying loud children in the backseat, but we would counter that these critics do not have kids. $250; visit Jabra.com.

Airwave bridges Bluetooth divide: The Bluetooth industry has exploded and so too will it soon fall. This is not because of lacking demand, but because the technology is so inexpensive that every car manufacturer will inevitably offer Bluetooth capability as a standard feature, thus dooming aftermarket options that don’t offer a unique proposition. Cobra’s new Airwave is a product intended to derive revenue from an industry gravitating toward the inevitable as the Airwave is a bridge between Bluetooth-enabled smartphones/tablets and car stereos that do not feature Bluetooth capability. It plugs into the car stereo and is paired with the smartphone/tablet so that it can receive wirelessly transmitted music that it plays through the wired connection to the stereo. It has a rechargeable battery life of 10 to 12 hours and it’s priced well enough that if you want this type of product, you’ll have no reluctance to buy it. Cobra releasing a gadget like Airwave now may feel akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, but there are plenty of profits to be derived before everybody migrates to cars with standard Bluetooth. $40; visit cobra.com.